German hostage held by Boko Haram freed after six months, says Cameroon

Yaounde, Cameroon: A German hostage kidnapped by Boko Haram in Nigeria six months ago has been freed after a military raid led by Cameroonian forces and their allies, Cameroon said on Wednesday.

"A special operation led by Cameroonian armed forces along with security services of friendly nations succeeded this night in freeing Nitsch Eberhard Robert, a German citizen abducted in Nigeria in July 2014 by the Boko Haram sect," the presidency said in a statement.

Nitsch Eberhard Robert, a German citizen abducted and held hostage by suspected Boko Haram militants, is seen as he arrives at the Yaounde Nsimalen International Airport after his release in Cameroon.

A spokesman for the German foreign ministry confirmed the man's release, adding that he was now in Cameroon's capital Yaounde.

The announcement came as Nigeria and its neighbours were holding talks in Niamey on how to combat the militants, whose insurgency has left 13,000 dead and forced 1.5 million from their homes since 2009.

Cameroonian soldiers on patrol in Amchide, 1 km from Nigeria. Around 20 of the dozens of hostages seized by Boko Haram in Cameroon at the weekend were released by the Islamists as they were chased by the army, sources said. Photo: AFP

Boko Haram is stepping up attacks in Nigeria and neighbouring countries, prompting Chad to send a convoy of troops and 400 military vehicles Saturday into Cameroon to battle the insurgents.

The African Union said on Wednesday that defeating Nigeria's "dastardly" Boko Haram insurgents needed support from across the continent.

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"Boko Haram is a threat not only to Nigeria and the region, but also to the continent as a whole," Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said in a statement.

Global outrage has been building since Boko Haram's massive January 3 attack on the Nigerian border town of Baga, feared to be the worst in the militants' six-year insurgency.

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau claimed responsibility for the assault which is thought to have killed hundreds, if not more.